Blue Jackets at Stars
The Columbus Blue Jackets still need some help from other teams to continue their magical run toward the playoffs. The Blue Jackets can sure increase their chances with wins in their final two games, starting at the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Columbus has won six of seven and nine of 12, led by Vezina Trophy candidate Sergei Bobrovsky and an opportunistic offense. The Blue Jackets stand one point behind eighth-place Detroit in the Western Conference.
A victory by Columbus would knock Dallas out of playoff contention. After winning five straight, the Stars have gone 1-3-1 - including a 3-2 defeat at San Jose on Tuesday. Dallas could use some aid from others, even if it defeats both the Blue Jackets and Red Wings to end the regular season. The Stars, who are four points behind Detroit, have totaled 15 goals in the last six games.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Columbus), Fox Southwest Plus (Dallas)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (22-17-7): Columbus has surrendered 21 goals in the last 11 games, all with Bobrovsky in net. The 24-year-old Russian is among the league leaders with a .930 save percentage and 2.06 goals-against average. Vinny Prospal has led the offense with 11 points in the last 12 games, along with a plus-6 rating, while Marian Gaborik has contributed seven points in 10 games since being acquired from the New York Rangers. The Blue Jackets will likely be without defensemen Adrian Aucoin and Nikita Nikitin (both lower body), and forwards Artem Anisimov (concussion) and Matt Calvert (broken finger).
ABOUT THE STARS (22-20-4): Dallas comes off a road trip in which it lost three one-goal games, including a 4-3 defeat in overtime against Los Angeles. The Stars will need their offense to come up big in the final two contests. Jamie Benn leads the team with 32 points and Loui Eriksson, who is expected to play his 500th career game, has 29. Rookie forward Alex Chiasson has six goals in seven contests, but he has missed the last four games with a shoulder injury. He is questionable to play on Thursday. Defenseman Alex Goligoski is having another solid season with 27 points and a team-best plus-6 rating.
OVERTIME
1. The teams split a pair of games in Columbus earlier this season, with Dallas posting a 5-4 overtime triumph on Feb. 26.
2. Dallas has won three straight at home to improve to 11-9-3, which is the second-worst mark in the Western Conference.
3. Columbus hasn’t received much help from its power play, which has gone 2-for-27 in the last 14 games.